The Tom Thorne Novels Series

On an island off the Welsh coast, Inspector Thorne faces a sadistic adversary who’ll “certainly make your skin crawl” (The New York Times Book Review).   Who’d trust a depraved killer like Stuart Nicklin? Tom Thorne, the DI who put him away, has to. Nicklin has promised to bring closure to the grieving mother of one of his first victims by finally revealing where the body can be found. But there’s just one condition: Thorne must accompany him to the burial ground—the remote Bardsey Island, which is cut off from the mainland of Wales in more ways than one. Nicklin is in cuffs, surrounded by authorities, and under watchful eye. What could go wrong?   As the macabre outing begins, so do Nicklin’s mind games—and it becomes clear that his motives are far from altruistic. There are more than bones buried on the storm-shrouded island. There are secrets, too. And as Thorne becomes entangled in the twisted schemes of a manipulative psychopath, he’ll be left with the most terrible choice he’s ever had to make.   Gillian Flynn calls Mark Billingham “one of the most consistently entertaining, insightful crime writers working today”—and in The Bones Beneath he makes sure “readers’ nerves will be shredded . . . [in] a tour de force of suspense” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).   “Chilling . . . Billingham certainly knows how to make those pages turn even while your stomach churns.” —Publishers Weekly   “Billingham is a world-class writer and Tom Thorne is a wonderful creation. Rush to read these books.” —Karin Slaughter, New York Times–bestselling author

“The next superstar detective” is back to stop a serial killer with a bizarre pattern—his victims are all taking their own lives (Lee Child).   Recently demoted for stepping out of line once too often, prickly inspector Tom Thorne is convinced that a spate of suicides among the elderly in south London is something more sinister. When his concerns are dismissed by former colleagues at the CID, and even by his patient girlfriend, Thorne can only trust himself and his best friend—gay pub-crawling pathologist Phil Hendricks—with his suspicions of murder.   Thorne draws a chilling connection between the deaths and a controversial case three decades old. But by going solo with his investigation, he not only risks the lives of those closest to him, but also further endangers those being targeted by a deranged killer—a man with the power and cold-blooded motives to coerce his vulnerable victims toward a breathtaking end.   “Tom Thorne, the hero of a well-groomed series of police procedurals” by multiple award-winning Mark Billingham, returns—and he’s “on the hunt for a killer who proves to be extremely clever and really, really mean” (The New York Times Book Review).   “One of the most consistently entertaining, insightful crime writers working today.” —Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl   “Fiendishly clever . . . with the last sharp twist saved for the final page.” —Tampa Bay Times

Two British police detectives take on a case close to home: “One of the most consistently entertaining, insightful crime writers working today” (Gillian Flynn).   One of Entertainment Weekly’s “10 Great Summer Thrillers”   Tom Thorne is on holiday with his girlfriend, DS Helen Weeks, when two girls are abducted in Helen’s hometown in Warwickshire. When a body is discovered and a man is arrested, Helen recognizes the suspect’s wife as an old school friend, and reluctantly returns home for the first time in twenty-five years to lend her support.   As his partner faces up to a past she has tried desperately to forget and a media storm engulfs the town, Thorne becomes convinced that, despite overwhelming evidence of his guilt, the police have got the wrong man. There is still an extremely clever killer on the loose—and a missing girl who Thorne believes might still be alive . . .   “Some ingenious forensic footwork. What is most impressive about the novel, however, is the astute observation of the beleaguered Bates family, who turn in on themselves as the inhabitants of the town turn on them.” —The Guardian

“A British police procedural as good as those produced by crime queens Elizabeth George and Ruth Rendell.” —USA Today   His first three victims ended up dead. His fourth was not so fortunate . . .   Alison Willetts is unlucky to be alive. She has survived a stroke, deliberately induced by a skillful manipulation of pressure points on the head and neck. She can see, hear, and feel and is aware of everything going on around her, but is completely unable to move or communicate. Her condition is called locked-in syndrome. In leaving Alison Willetts alive, the police believe the killer made his first mistake.   Then DI Tom Thorne discovers the horrifying truth; it isn’t Alison who is the mistake, it’s the three women already dead. The killer is getting his kicks out of toying with Thorne as much as he is pursuing his sick fantasy, and as the detective zeroes in on a suspect, he finds himself pushed to his personal and professional limits . . .   This is the “exceptional” first novel in the long-running series by an international bestselling author (George Pelecanos).   “The best thriller debut of the year.” —Rocky Mountain News   “A world-class crime writer.” —Karin Slaughter

A murder-for-hire goes wrong in this thriller by “one of the most consistently entertaining, insightful crime writers working today” (Gillian Flynn).   After Alan Langford’s charred remains were found in his burnt-out Jaguar, his abused, long-suffering wife, Donna, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to ten years at Wakefield Prison. It was worth the time. But shortly before her release, Donna receives a nasty shock: an anonymous letter containing a recent photo of her husband—the man she despised and feared, the man she paid to have killed, the man she’s now begging London inspector Tom Thorne to find.   Even for a seasoned DI like Thorne, this is a first: tracking a man who’s come back from the dead. But when Donna’s daughter suddenly disappears, Thorne finds himself following two trails of revenge and double cross. And they’re both leading into the menacing shadow of a killer who wants the case buried for good.   With his multiple award-winning series, “Mark Billingham has brought a rare and welcome blend of humanity, dimension, and excitement to the genre” (George Pelecanos). From the Dead is not only “a good crime story, but . . . [a] novel . . .about the complexities and pitfalls of love” (The Washington Post).   “Engrossing . . . chillingly clever.” —Publishers Weekly   “Mark Billingham is one of my favorite new writers.” —Harlan Coben   “Tom Thorne is a wonderful creation. Rush to read these books.” —Karin Slaughter, New York Times–bestselling author

In this “chilling and moving” international bestseller, two of London’s toughest detectives investigate the savage world of honor killings (The Times, London).   In Love Like Blood, DI Tom Thorne, “the next superstar detective,” teams up with perfectionist DI Nicola Tanner, the protagonist of Billingham’s acclaimed stand-alone thriller Die of Shame (Lee Child).   When her domestic partner Susan is brutally murdered, Nicola Tanner is convinced that she was the intended target. The murderer’s motive is likely connected to her recent work on a string of cold case honor killings. Despite being placed on leave, Tanner insists on pursuing justice for Susan—and she turns to fellow DI Tom Thorne for help.   Agreeing to take the case, Thorne quickly finds that working in such controversial territory among London’s Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh communities can be dangerous in more ways than one. But when a young Bangladeshi couple goes missing, Tanner and Thorne must put everything on the line to investigate a case that is anything but cold.   “Brilliant.” —The Independent   “Groundbreaking . . . a gripping, unsensational take on a type of crime that is happening more frequently than many of us realize.” —The Sunday Times

“The action moves swiftly toward a big twist and the satisfying conclusion . . . shows why Billingham stands at the forefront of British crime authors” (Publishers Weekly).   Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl and Sharp Objects, has called Mark Billingham “one of the most consistently entertaining, insightful crime writers working today,” and this novel brings together his popular detective Tom Thorne and straitlaced DI Nicola Tanner on a pair of lethally high-stakes cases.   While Tanner investigates the deadly spread of a dangerous new drug, Thorne is handed a case that he doesn’t take too seriously—until a spate of animal killings points to the work of a serial murderer. When the two cases come together unexpectedly, both Thorne and Tanner must risk everything to catch two very different killers.   “Morse, Rebus, and now Thorne. The next superstar detective is already with us―don’t miss him.” ―Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series “Tom Thorne [is] worth getting to know.” —The Washington Post

Killing becomes a twisted team sport in this “smart, fast-paced procedural” from the award-winning author of Sleepyhead (Booklist).   It was a vicious, calculated murder. The killer selected his victim at London’s Euston station, followed her home on the tube, strangled her to death in front of her child. At the same time, killed in the same way, a second body is discovered at the back of King’s Cross station. It is a grisly coincidence that eerily echoes the murders of two other women, stabbed to death months before on the same day.   DI Tom Thorne sees the link and comes to a horrifying conclusion. This is not a serial killer that the police are up against—this is two of them. Finding the body used to be the worst part of the job, but not any more. Now each time a body is found, Thorne knows that somewhere out there is a second victim waiting to be discovered. But while the killers’ methods might be the same, their manner is strikingly different. Thorne comes to realize that he is hunting very different people—one ruthless and in control, the other submissive, compliant, terrified.   Thorne must catch a man whose need to manipulate is as great as his need to kill. A man who will threaten those closest to Thorne himself and show him that the ability to inspire terror is the deadliest weapon of all . . .   “One of the most consistently entertaining, insightful crime writers working today.” —Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl   “Mark Billingham is one of my favorite new writers.” —Harlan Coben, bestselling author of Run Away

A woman’s suicide puts a detective on the trail of a cold-hearted con artist: “Outstanding . . . a maximum of suspense” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).   When DI Tom Thorne is called to the site of a suicide, he expects to be in and out in no time. But when he arrives at the Underground station where a woman named Philippa Goodwin threw herself in front of a train, he inexplicably senses something awry and feels compelled to dig deeper. He soon discovers that she was the victim of a callous con man who preys on vulnerable women—and whose deception plunged Philippa to her end.   Thorne enlists DI Nicola Tanner to help him track down the swindler and bring him to justice. But the detective duo gets more than they bargained for when a young man’s bludgeoned body turns up on the shore of a nearby seaside town and the two cases come together in a way that neither of the detectives could have foreseen . . .   “A fantastic thriller . . . a gripping plot and lead characters of remarkable depth. Billingham is a multiple-award winner, and his books have sold more than six million copies. Readers who grab this one but aren’t familiar with its predecessors will be seeking them out. A series to savor.” ―Booklist (starred review)   “Billingham is a world-class writer and Tom Thorne is a wonderful creation.” ―Karin Slaughter, bestselling author of the Will Trent series

Two boys run into the woods—but only one returns—in this new mystery from the award-winning “first-rate British crime writer” (The Washington Post).   In the summer of 1996, two boys run from a playground into the adjoining woods, but only one comes out. DS Tom Thorne takes on the case—which quickly spirals out of control when two people connected to the missing boy are murdered.   As London prepares to host the European Soccer Championships, Thorne fights to keep on top of a baffling investigation while also dealing with the ugly fallout of his broken marriage . . .   A prequel to Mark Billingham’s acclaimed debut Sleepyhead―which the Sunday Times voted one of the 100 books that shaped the decade―this chilling, compelling novel is the latest in “a series to savor” (Booklist).    “With each of his books, Mark Billingham gets better and better. These are stories and characters you don’t want to leave.” ―Michael Connelly, author of the Harry Bosch series “Mark Billingham has brought a rare and welcome blend of humanity, dimension, and excitement to the genre.” ―George Pelecanos, bestselling author and Emmy-nominated writer

A spate of brutal murders threatens the newfound happiness of “one of the most credible and engaging heroes in contemporary crime fiction” (Ian Rankin). Tom Thorne finally has it all. In Nicola Tanner and Phil Hendricks, Thorne has good friends by his side. His love life is newly reformed by a promising relationship and he is happy in the job he has devoted his life to. As he sets off hunting the woman responsible for a series of grisly murders, Thorne has no way of knowing that he will be plunged into a nightmare from which he may never wake. A nightmare that has a name. Thorne’s past threatens to catch up with him and a ruinous secret is about to be revealed. If he wants to save himself and his friends, he will have to do the unthinkable. Tom Thorne finally has a lot to lose. Praise for the Tom Thorne series “Morse, Rebus, and now Thorne. The next superstar detective is already with us—don’t miss him.” —Lee Child “Billingham is a world-class writer and Tom Thorne is a wonderful creation. Rush to read these books.” —Karin Slaughter “With each of his books, Mark Billingham gets better and better. These are stories and characters you don’t want to leave.” —Michael Connelly  “Mark Billingham has brought a rare and welcome blend of humanity, dimension, and excitement to the genre.” —George Pelecanos “A fantastic thriller, combining a gripping plot and lead characters of remarkable depth . . . Readers who grab this one but aren’t familiar with its predecessors will be seeking them out. A series to savor.” —Booklist (starred review)